A filter disposed in a cyclone type dust collecting apparatus of a vacuum cleaner generally filters out minute dust particles from air as air is discharged toward a cleaner body. However, because minute dust particles are gradually accumulated on an outer surface of the filter, there is an inconvenience in that the filter has to be cleaned periodically. Accordingly, various filter cleaning devices have been suggested to remove the dust from the outer surface of the filter in association with opening and closing motion of a dust collecting receptacle of the cyclone type dust collecting apparatus.
FIGS. 1 and 3 are side cross sectional views respectively showing a cyclone type dust collecting apparatus having one of those conventional filter cleaning devices. FIG. 1 shows a disclosure of Japanese Publication No. 2002-315701, and FIG. 3 shows a disclosure of EP 1136028 A2. Referring to FIG. 1, a cyclone type dust collecting apparatus 100 includes a cyclone body 110 having a suction port 111 and a discharge port 121, a dust collecting receptacle 103 removably mounted on the cyclone body 110, a filter 130 installed at the discharge port 121 of the cyclone body 110 and disposed inside the dust-colleting receptacle 103.
A conventional filter cleaning device 150 mounted in the cyclone type dust collecting apparatus 100, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, includes a dust-removing ring 151 disposed around an outer circumference of the filter 130, an elastic spring 155 disposed elastically pressing the dust-removing rig 151 downwardly, a slider 161 and a locking lever 171 for securely positioning the dust-removing ring 155 at an upper portion of the filter 130. A guide recess 157 for guiding a vertical sliding of the slider 161 is between a connection pipe 113 of the cyclone body 110 and the dust collecting receptacle 103.
The slider 161 is bent and extended downwardly from an outer surface of the dust-removing ring 151 and is received in the guide recess 157 to slide in a vertical direction. The slider 161 has a protrusion 162 fitted in a recess (not shown) of the dust collecting receptacle 103. Due to the cooperation of the protrusion 162 and the recess, the dust collecting receptacle 103 slides integrally with the slider 161. The slider 161 also has a pair of locking recesses 165, 166 depressed along the length of the slider 161 at a predetermined distance from each other.
Meanwhile, the locking lever 171 has a locker 172 corresponding to the locking recesses 165, 166 of the slider 161 and a manipulation portion 174 which a user manipulates. The locking lever 171 rotates about a rotary axis 176 disposed in the guide recess 157, thereby engaging the locker 172 in the locking recesses 165, 166. To this end, on an exterior of the locking lever 171 is disposed a locker spring 181 for elastically pressing the locker 172 toward the locking recesses 165, 166.
In the cyclone type dust collecting apparatus 100 having the conventional filter cleaning device 150 constructed as above, the dust collecting receptacle 103 is separated by pressing the manipulation portion 174 of the locking lever 171. At that time, the filter cleaning device 150 operates together with the dust collecting receptacle 103. That is, when the locking lever 171 is rotated about the rotary axis 176 by pressing on the manipulation portion 174, the locker 172 is outwardly detached from the locker recesses 165, 166 of the slider 161. The compressed spring 155 expands to slide the dust removing ring 151 and the slider 161 downwardly, separating the dust collecting receptacle 103.
The dust-removing ring 151 brushes the dust layer on an outer surface of the filter 130 on sliding downwardly, and thus dust falls down into the dust collecting receptacle 103 and is collected therein. A user disconnects the protrusion 162 of the slider 161 from the recess of the dust collecting receptacle 103 and removes contaminants and dust from the dust collecting receptacle 103. Meanwhile, the dust-removed empty dust collecting receptacle 103 is reconnected with the cyclone body 110 by pressing upwardly.
However, the conventional filter cleaning device 100 has a complicated construction having the slider 161 for moving the dust-removing ring 151 along the outer surface of the filter 130, the elastic spring 155, and the locking lever 171. Further, the guide recess 157 between the cyclone body 110 and the dust collecting receptacle 103 which guides the sliding of the slider 161 and also receives the locking lever 171 for manipulation by the user, makes manufacturing difficult, and causes manufacturing costs to increase. Also, the filter cleaning device 100 is inconvenient to use since it is uneasy to separate/connect the dust-collecting receptacle 103 from/to the cyclone body 110.
Meanwhile, FIG. 3 shows another conventional filter cleaning device 200. The filter cleaning device 200 includes a dust removing ring 201 disposed around an outer surface of a filter 130, a manipulation knob 209 exposed to the outside for the manipulation by a user, and a rod 207 intermediating between the dust-removing ring 201 and the manipulation knob 209. One end of the rod 207 is connected to a rib 202 of the dust-removing ring 201, and the other end of the rod 207 penetrates through an upper flange portion 109 of a cyclone body 110 to connect to the manipulation knob 209. The cyclone body 110 is provided with a slit 211 for guiding movement of the manipulation knob 209 along an up and down direction. Also, an elastic spring 205 is disposed on an outer surface of the rod 207 to be intermediated between the manipulation knob 209 and the upper flange portion 109.
According to this construction, the manipulation knob 209 is urged to an upper portion of the slit 211 due to the recovering force of the elastic spring 205. Accordingly, the dust-removing ring 201 which is connected with the manipulation knob 209 via the rod 207 is also positioned to an upper portion of the filter 130 as shown in FIG. 3. If dust is collected on an outer surface of the filter 130, a user presses the manipulation knob 209 along the slit 211 downwardly. The dust-removing ring 201 moves downwardly along the outer surface of the filter 130, removing the dust collected on the outer surface.
However, the aforementioned filter cleaning device 200 of the cyclone type dust collecting apparatus 100 has disadvantages. That is, the manipulation knob 209 for moving the dust-removing ring 201 along the outer surface of the filter and the rod 207 are unstable in structure and in connection. For example, if dust is collected on the outer surface of the filter 130 to somewhat great amount, it is difficult to downwardly press the manipulation knob 209 and move the dust-removing ring 201. Especially, when excessive force is exerted on the manipulation knob 209, the manipulation knob 209 is likely to be damaged. Accordingly, for fear of breaking the part, a user does not use the manipulation knob 209, but instead separates the dust collecting receptacle 103 from the cyclone body 110 and then manually removes the dust collected on the outer surface of the filter.